2012 National Day of Action
- (l to r) RPCVs Joby Taylor, Jared Kebbell and Sarah Singletary were among the 75 participants in Capitol Hill activities during this year’s National Day of Action
For the past eight years during the first week in March, the National Peace Corps Association organizes a National Day of Action in Support of the Peace Corps.
Coinciding with the anniversary of President Kennedy’s 1961 Executive Order which established the Peace Corps, the Day of Action is the one time each year when we call upon all members of the Peace Corps community to take a few minutes out of their busy lives to reach out to members of Congress and express their strong support for the Peace Corps.
2012 was no different. By many accounts, this year’s Day of Action on March 1st was our most successful to date.
The activites of supporters who made phone calls or sent e-mails to their lawmakers from all around the country was bolstered by the efforts of a dedicated and diverse group of 75 members of the Peace Corps community who converged on Capitol Hill.
The group held 127 meetings with congressional offices and helped ensure that every office was visited and provided with key materials urging support for the
In between Capitol Hill meetings, advocates filled out meeting reports, wrote thank you notes and had some time to socialize
Peace Corps.
With two weeks of intensive follow-up activities, this year’s Day of Action proved to be the most successful to date by securing 160 congressional signatures urging strong funding for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2013. That’s the most signatures collected among Senators and Congressmen/women in any single year.
In addition, in the aftermath of the Day of Action, more lawmakers continue to co-sponsor legislation to establish a Peace Corps Commemorative near the National Mall.
Missed out on this year’s National Day of Action? Learn more below and make plans to participate next year…Or, get connected to our advocacy listserve and look for other opportunities in the coming months.
- What’s the Day of Action Really Like? Follow along with one of our 2012 California groups in this video
- Check out National Day of Action photos
- Read the House Peace Corps Funding Letter
- Read the Senate Peace Corps Funding Letter
- Read this final update on Day of Action results
- Read some reflections from Day of Action participants
SUPPORT OUR CONTINUED ADVOCACY EFFORTS
You can support the 2013 National Day of Action right now and help make sure we keep sending advocates for the Peace Corps to Capitol Hill. Make a special advocacy donation now.
